CBD: Optimal Health for Cats
There are endless reasons why people are turning to alternative remedies to alleviate health symptoms and conditions. Pharmaceutical drugs come with a plethora of dangerous side effects, and they often only treat the symptoms of a disease or disorder, without addressing the root cause. This often leaves one dealing with long-term suffering, with no end in sight.
Pets play a huge role in the lives of humans and most people want an equal quality of life for their beloved animals as they do for themselves. Alternative remedies for pets are becoming more commonplace. Pet owners are finding comfort in knowing that they can treat their animals for various conditions at home. One such remedy is CBD, a diverse and indispensable cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant. While the data is lacking when it comes to treating cats with CBD, many cat owners are seeing results. CBD helps alleviate a wide variety of symptoms and conditions, and is proving to be a good option in treating animals as well. Why is CBD so transformative and how does it work?
CBD and the Role of the Endocannabinoid System
CBD is one of the 150+ known cannabinoids that are found mainly in the cannabis plant.
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a complex and somewhat mysterious system found in the bodies of all animals - vertebrates and invertebrates alike. The ECS is responsible for regulating a myriad of systems and processes in the body in an attempt to reach homeostasis. These areas include but are not limited to:
- Mood
- Sleep
- Digestion
- Hormones and reproductive function
- Pain and inflammation
CBD works by stimulating receptors in the ECS and triggering a chain of reactions so that the ECS can begin its regulatory processes. Unlike THC, CBD is non-psychoactive and will not get you high. This is appealing for those who want to benefit from the healing properties of cannabis, but do not want their mental state disrupted. This also makes CBD appealing for use in treating animals. CBD is showing effectiveness as a therapeutic for pets, and there are several ways in which it can benefit cats in particular.
CBD is the Cat’s Meow: Benefits and Potential Side Effects of Treating Cats with CBD
CBD is proving to be beneficial to the wellbeing of cats in areas that include:
- inflammation - CBD helps to alleviate pain, infections (including urinary tract infections) and arthritis-related joint pain that is caused by inflammation.
- Anxiety - CBD works to alleviate anxiety by triggering serotonin and adenosine receptors in the brain. This can also help with cats that are prone to being timid or fearful.
- Aggression - Sometimes pets suffer from aggressive tendencies, especially if they are rescues that may have experienced trauma from previous owners or living situations. CBD’s ability to work with serotonin receptors, along with its ability to treat PTSD make it a suitable option to remedy aggressive behavior in your pet.
- Cancer and tumors - Many pets suffer from tumors including cancer. Tumors are especially common in older pets. CBD inhibits the growth and survival of cancer cells.
- Skin and fur health - CBD is great for the skin! It also helps to promote a soft, full coat of fur. CBD helps to treat hot spots, and the accompanying discomfort associated with hot spots and rashes.
- Irritable bowel syndrome - CBD is great for digestive health and its anti-inflammatory properties lend themselves to treating IBS and other gut imbalances.
- Seizures - CBD is approved by the FDA in synthetic form to treat seizure disorders. It also works for pets who suffer from seizures.
- Overall wellness - The endocannabinoid system is found all throughout the body and helps to regulate many different systems and processes. Cannabinoids that work with the ECS can be compared to the herbal tonics of western naturopathy and Traditional Chinese Medicine. The definition of a tonic is “An agent that has the capability to restore and/or maintain the physiological functioning of an organ system, leading to the subjective feeling of well-being of the patient treated with it.” (Gotti RP, Melzer J, Saller R. 2014)
The side effects of CBD are rare. Even if there are unexpected effects, they are most often mild.
Drowsiness is a common side effect of CBD in cats and if your cat seems drowsy or changes its sleeping patterns after a CBD dose, then that is a sign to administer less the next time, and keep an eye on your cat’s energy levels. Other side effects include nausea, vomiting and fluctuations in appetite.
Another issue that can arise is THC contamination. Sometimes a CBD product is impure and contains enough THC to cause a high when administered. Make sure you do some research and find a quality product before giving your cat CBD. The knowledgeable staff at The Green Dragon CBD can help to guide you in selecting the right product for your cat. Contact us here to find out more about quality CBD products.
Finding the Right Dose for Your Cat
Dosage is important. It’s especially crucial in treating creatures that cannot use language to express how a remedy makes them feel.
Just like any new treatment journey, it’s best to start with a very low dose for your cat. You can always increase the dose slowly if needed. 1mg-5mg of CBD oil per 10lbs of body weight is a commonly suggested starting point for cats.
With everything, there can be variables. Concentration of the product can vary, so again it’s important to know about your chosen product by doing research and speaking with experts. Desired effects are different for everyone (and every cat). For example, treating pain conditions requires a different dose than treating psychological conditions or seizures. Evaluate carefully what you are looking to achieve for your cat and dose accordingly.
Check in with your vet before combining CBD with other medications that you may be giving your cat. If you are lucky enough to have a holistic veterinarian, they are probably already aware of CBD and how it can benefit pets.
What Really Matters
Our beloved pets deserve the best care and quality of life. Cannabinoids are an ally to humans and animals alike and a wonderful alternative to potentially dangerous pharmaceuticals. CBD is a great way to keep your cat purring all the way to optimal health!
The Green Dragon CBD likes to stay updated with the latest CBD research and discoveries. We make it our goal to share with you important new information regularly. Explore our blog page for the regularly updated articles about all things CBD.
A dose of THC is generally considered to be between 5 and 10 milligrams.
An edible can take up to an hour for the full effect of the THC to set in, make sure to be patient before upping your dosage to avoid unpleasant experiences.
Some gummies need to be treated differently from others, but rule of thumb is to keep away from excessive heat, keep your gummies in their original packaging, keep them out of direct sunlight, and keep in stable conditions.
To sum all of these things up; keep your gummies in stable conditions. Room temperature, non-fluctuating temperature, dark spaces and low humidity air quality are prime conditions for your CBD storage. The pantry in your own home is perfect for this. If you’re carrying the on-the-go gummies, just make sure you aren’t leaving them in your unattended car for hours.
If your gummies do melt, the best thing for you to do is to toss and replace them. The melting of CBD gummies will change the chemical composition of the cannabinoids, which means the benefits you are looking for from them will significantly decrease. Keep your gummies safe and properly stored to keep the full benefits of the CBD product.
